Annealing-furnace with inlet sealed by steam.



G. G. BALDWIN. ANNEALING EURNAGE WITH INLET SEALED BY STEAM. APPLICATIONFILED JULY 8, 1909.

'., Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

UNITED- sTATEs PATENT oraisonA CHAUNCEY c. BALDWIN, or PERTH AMB or, NEWJERSEY, Assieme 'ro sTAN'nAnn UNDEaesenNn CABLE couPANY, or PrrTsBUne,rnN'NsYLVANm, A 'conPoEArroN or PENNsYLvANm.

ANNEALING-FURNACE WITH INLET SEALED BY STEAM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug, 31, 1909.

. Appncatiou led J'uiy s, 1909. serial No. 505,848.

To alli/)hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAUNCEY C. BALD- wlN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, -residing at 179 Water street, Perth Amboy, county of Middlesex,and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Annealing- Furnaces with IInlet Sealed by Steam, fullydescribed and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. n

This invention relates to that'class of annealing furnaces in whichcoils of wire'or other metal articles which require al'inealing areconveyed through a heated retort from which the atmosphere is excludedto avoid the oxidation of the articles. Heretofore, the inlet mouthpieceof such annealing retorts has been closed by a water-seal or by amechanical air-lock of some kind, but I have found by extensive practicethat these means of closing. the inlet can be wholly supersededby thedischarge of steam from the retort itself through the inlet mouth-piece.A walter-seal at the outlet mouth-piece is, however, desirable vfor thepurpose of introducing the heated metal to a cooling bat-hbefore it isat all exposed to thel atmosphere. Heretofore, live steam has beensupplied to the interior of the retort for the purpose of driving anyair out of the retort, but .the live steam heretofore supplied to theinterior -of the retort for such a purpose has involved a veryconsiderable ruiming expense; while the steam which I employ to seal theinlet mouth-piece of the retort costs nothing, as

it is generated by the heat within-.the retortv itself.

My invention is based upon the discovery that a current of steam issuingfrom theA mouth-piece of the retort efectually prevents the intrusion ofair. The steam opcrates most eiectively if the mouth-piece be bentdownward to or near the level of the bottom of the retort.

My invention also includes the discovery, that where the outletmouth-piece of the retort is sealed with water, steam is constantlygenerated and discharged from the surface of the water within suchoutlet mouth-piece by the heat in the retort itself and by the heat 'inthe annealed articles which are quenched in such water as they pass outof the retort. Where the mouth-piece is open,I

- the water su the air which may be contained in the retort when thelires are started to heat it, is eti'ecl tually discharged from theretort by the generation of steam vupon the surface of the water Withinthe outlet induth-piece, such steam rising within the yretort andexpelling the air and finally emerging in a continuous current from theinlet mouth-piece.

If'it be desired, the articles may be moistened with water before theyare fed into the retort, to increase the generation ot steam,

Figure `1 of the drawing shows ,diagrammatically a longitudinal sectionf a furnace provided with the improvements; `Fig. 2 is a cross sectionon line 2-2 in Fig. l; Figs. 3 and 4 show a part of the conveyor inelevation and plan upon a larger scale thanl Fig. l.

a designates the retort, mounted in brickwork b, which is heated byfurnaces c in any suitable manner. A tank d having water kept at asuitable levelve isxed adjacent- 'to the outlet end of the retort, andthe outlet 1 extends below the surface of ciently to seal the same tothe admission of air. The inlet mouthpiece ,f/ slopes downwardly belowthe bottom line ot the retort, and rolls r and s at opposite ends of theretort guide a portion Z of an endless chain-conveyer through thevretort; another portion Z sloping downwardly through the mouth-pieceVinlet mouth-piece to va.drivin,f 1; rol1 p at a lower level than therolls 1'.

Figs. 3 and il show thek form ordinarily used for the conveyor with twoside 'chains and crossbars Z'" to carry the load. In Figs. 1 and 2,ledges are show-n secured in the sides of the retort to supportthe'upper portion ot' the conveyer which carries the coils lz, the lowerportion which moves in the reverse direction lying close to the floor ofthe retort.

A gravity-slide t is provided at the outer end of the conyeyer portion Zupon'which an attendant lays the coils h, and down which they slide bygravity to the conveyer, as indicated bythe arrow fv. Before they enterthe moutl1- piece the coils may be sprinkled with Awater from a pipe '0,the water serving'togenerate steam when the coils are heated. 'Theconveyer carries .the coils only t0 the outlet end ofthe retort, asindicated by the arrow u, and there disAJ charges them to vaslopingehute c' whichextends from thefloo'rof the retorty downward thewater of the tank d within the outlet n upwardly from the bottom of thechute above the top of the tank, receiving the coils as they slide downthe chute into the water and carrying them successively above the levelof the water to the edge of the tank, where they fall upon the floor m.1With the arrangementshown iii the drawing, the mouth-pieces f and gextend below the Hoor level, so that a pit is. required at each end ofthe retort, one of which pits holds the tank d, while the other containsthe conveyer l and the gravity-slide t, and -requires no supply of waterfor sealing the inlet mouth-piece, as such mouth-piece is sealed bysteam. The retort is cleared from air before introducing any articleswhich require annealinv` by the spontaneous genera-/ tion of steam/ fromthe surface of the water in the -outlet mouth-piece when the furnacesare heated.

When the steam escapes in acloud from the inlet mouth-piece the coilsmay be fed into the retort and annealed without oxidation, as theexpulsion of the air thus prepares the retort for annealing bright wire.

The heat of such coils when plunged successilvely into the water in theoutlet mouthpiece increases thel generation of steam therein andmaintains a constant discharge of steam from the `inlet mouthpiece. Itis immaterial what means are used for conveying the articles into theretort through the inlet mouth-piece which is open to the atmosphere andsupplied with steanifroin the interior ofthe retort.

The construction of this annealing furnace secures the most economicaloperation, as

' it avoids the use of live steam from a steam boiler to expel the airfrom the retort and to keep it free from air; and ,the use of steam forsealing the inlet mouth-piece avoids the necessity of using a mechanicaly air-lock at the inlet of the retort, which air'- lock greatly iinpedesthe introduction of the articles to the retort and-involves theconsumption of power to operate the same.

With my construction, the 'inlet mouthpiece is constantly open to theatmosphere, so that the conveyer can operate Without obstructionthrough'the saine, and the articles" upon the conveyer can thus becarried directly into the retort without' any interruption orobstruction.

The use of the gravit -slide t for feeding` the coils or other artic esto the inlet-con- -veyer enables an operator to supply thel apapparatusuntil an operator can remove them. Y I

Having thus set forth the` nature of the invention` what is claimedherein is:

1. An annealing furnace having a heated retort, an inlet mouth-pieceextended downward from the inlet of the retort and open to theatmosphere, means for conveying articles into the retort throughsuchinlet mouthpiece, an outlet mouth-piece extended downward from theoutlet end of the retort, and

a tank with liquid covering suoli mouth-A piece, the inlet being sealedby steam supair, a conveyer extended through the inlet mouth-piece andthrough the retort to the outlet mouth-piece, and a chute delivering thearticles from the retort by gravity to,

the water in the tank.

3. An annealing furnace having a heated retort, an inlet mouth-pieceextended downward from the inlet end of the retort and Open totheatmosphere, an outlet 'mouthpiece extended downward from the ot'let endof the retort, a tank 4with liquid covering such outlet mouth-piece, andsteam heing supplied from the' interior of the retort to the inletmouth-piece to prevent the entrance of air, a conveyer extended throughsuch inlet mouth-piece and through the re tort tothe outlet mouth-piece,a chute de-v livering the articles by gravity from the retortto thewater in the tank and an independent elevator operating in the tank toreceive the articles from the chute and discharge them from the tank.

4. An annealing furnace havin a heated retort, aninlet mouth-piece extened downward from. the inlet end of the retort and o n to the atmosphere,an outlet mouthpiece extended downward from the outlet end of theretort, a. tank `with liquid cov-- ering such mouth-piece, steam beingsuppliedfrom the interior of the retort to the inlet mouth-piece toprevent the entrance of air, rolls at the opposite ends of theretort4and a roll below the inlet mouth-.piece with endless chains fitted tosuch -rolls, and

operating to convey articles ythrough the inlet mouthpiece and theretort and deliver them at the end of they retort, at its junction withlthe outlet mouth-piece.

5`."A'n annealing furnaeehaving a heated retort, an inlet moutliieeeestended downward from the inlet o the retort and open operatingthroughv the inlet mouth-plece and to the atmosphere, .a conve'ye'rarranged and' liquid covering such outlet 1nouthpiece,

i steam being 'supplied from the interior of th'e retort to' the inletmouth-piece'to pre- 2o the retort to 'carry the metallic articles 1to1.`

annealing through the same, means for lwet vent the entrance of air, alconveyer having ting the said articles with Awater'i-When aportioniwithin the retort, andsloping por- .placed upon the conveyer, amouth-piece extion Z. leading intol the inlet mouth-piece", tendeddownward from the aoutlet end .of the ithegravity-slidet for supplyingthe articles retort, and atank with liquid covering such to s uchconveyer, and a spray-pipe with 25 .mouth-piece, the air being excluded'from supply oi liquid for wetting the articles as ward fromv the inletend of the retort and lVlitnesses:

the retort and the inlet mouth-piece `by they pass into the retort.steam generated from the moisture upon the In'testimony whereof I havehereuntojset articles. my hand in the .presence of two subscribing 6.'An annealing furnace having a heated Witnesses.v

retort, an inlet mouth-piece extended down- CHUINEY C. BALDWIN.

open to the atmosphere, an outlet mouthl I ALBERT WATERS, piece extendeddownward, a' tank. 'with' Enw. M. EINHORN.

